Fruit preparation machine



July 24, 1962 H. G. HOFFMEISTER 3,045,733

FRUIT PREPARATION MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1959 T'Il3 1 July 24, 1962 Filed Sept. 50, 1959 H. 5. HOFFMEISTER 3,045,733

FRUIT PREPARATION MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR United States Patent ()fifice 3,045,733 FRUIT PREPARATION MACHINE Hans G. Hoifmeister, San Jose, Calif, assignor to FMC Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 843,588 3 Claims. (Cl. 14681) The present invention appertains to fruit preparation machines and more particularly relates to a stem end gaging mechanism for a pear preparation machine.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved stem end gaging mechanism for a pear preparation machine.

Another object is to provide an improved stem end gaging mechanism having a one-piece gage plate.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a portion of a fruit preparation machine in which the stem end gaging mechanism of the present invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the stem end gaging mechanism of FIG. 1, shown disconnected from the machine.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the stem end gaging mechanism of FIG. 2, showing a fragment of the machine of FIG. 1 associated therewith.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along lines 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a section similar to FIG. 4 showing a second embodiment of the gaging mechanism of the present invention.

The stem end gaging mechanism 8 (FIG. 1) of the present invention is adapted for use with a pear preparation machine of the type disclosed in the application for U.S. Letters Patent of Sherman H. Creed and Gerald R. Anderson, Serial No. 715,805 which was filed on February 17, 1958, and is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Reference may be had to said application for the complete disclosure of the construction and operation of the machine.

The pear preparation machine comprises, in general,

a feed mechanism 10 (FIG. 1) including three feed cup assemblies 11, each of which is mounted on a feed turret 12 and is arranged to receive a pear stem-end-down at a feed station X and move the pear to a horizontal position at a station Y where a bobbing knife 13 cuts off the stem end of the pear. The pear is then moved to a station Z where it is transferred from the feed cup assembly 11 to one of a plurality of stemming tubes (not shown) which impales the pear at its stem end and allows the empty cup assembly 11 to be returned to the feed station X to receive another pear.

The cup assemblies 11 are carried by a tubular shaft 14 of the turret 12 which is journalled on a stationary shaft 16 and is intermittently rotated in 120 increments to in dex each cup 11, in turn, to each of the stations X, Y, and Z. During this indexing operation, each feed cup assembly 11 is pivoted in an arcuate path from a position at station X, wherein the axis of pear centering cup 11 is substantially vertical, to a position at station Y, wherein the axis is generally horizontal, by a roller follower 19 which is carried by a gear segment 21 of the assembly. The roller follower 19 is disposed in a twisting cam track 23 formed in an oval-shaped cam 24 that is keyed to the stationary shaft 16. The cam track 23 is so designed that, when the tubular shaft 14 is indexed 120 from station X to station Y, the feed cup assembly 11 is arcuately swung from a position at right angles to the tubular shaft 14 to a position generally parallel to the shaft, and with the axis of the centering cup 11 in alignment with the stem end gaging mechanism 8 of the present invention.

3,045,733 Patented July 24, 1962 After a pear in one of the feed cup assemblies 11 has been moved into station Y with its blossom-stem axis in alignment with the gaging mechanism 8, an axially movable centering rod 32, which is concentric with the blossom-stem axis and which has a pusher plate 33 on one end, is resiliently urged toward the right (FIG. 1). During this movement, the plate 33 is moved into cont-act with the blossom end of the pear causing the pear to slide in the jaws of its centering cup 11 until the stem end engages the gaging mechanism 8 and is centered thereby.

After the pear has been centered in its centering cup 11 and the stem end of the pear is held against the mechanism 8, the bobbing knife 13, which is mounted on a shaft 34, is swung downwardly to cut off a portion of the stem end of the pear. The above-described mechanisms and the mechanism (not shown) which actuate the tubular shaft 14, the centering rod 32, and the shaft 34 in timed relation is described in detail in the previously referred to application Serial No. 715,805.

The stem end gaging mechanism 8 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4) of the present invention comprises a one-piece gage plate 40 having a support arm 41 welded thereto. The arm 41 is locked in any suitable manner in a socket 42 (FIG. 3) bolted to a bracket 43 that is supported from an end standard of the machine. The gage plate 40 has therein an elongate aperture or opening 44 (FIG. 2), defined by a top wall 45, a bottom wall 46, and spaced end walls 47 and 48. The aperture 44 has a wide stementrance passage 44a, which is connected to a narrow passage 44b by a transition passage defined by slanted edges 45a and 46a that converge toward the narrow passage 44b. A wide discharge passage 44c of the slot 44 is partially defined by a vertical edge 46b of the bottom wall 46 and by an inclined edge 45b of the top wall.

As a pear in one of the cups 11 (FIG. 1) is advanced from station X to station Y, it moves sideways and swings in a curved, substantially arcuate path approaching the plate 41 obliquely as indicated at 49 (FIG. 4). The stem of a pear P first enters the entrance passage 44a (FIG. 2) of the aperture 44 (as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 4) and, if it is not aligned with the central passage 44b, the stem will contact one of the tapered edges 45a or 46a and be guided thereby into the passage 4412 (as shown in FIG. 4). The pusher plate 33 is then resiliently urged to the right (FIG. 1) to contact the blossom end of the pear P and push the pear a short distance in the centering jaws of cup 11 until the stem end is butted against the rounded edges 0 fthe walls defining the passage 44b of the aperture 44. The pusher plate 33 is then withdrawn and the bobbing knife 13 is swung downwardly to cut the stem end of the pear oif squarely as indicated in FIG. 3. After the knife 13 has completed its cut and has been raised, the movement of the pear away from station Y is begun.

The severed end P (FIG. 4) of the pear normally falls free of the gage plate 40 as soon as the pear moves away from the plate. In the event the severed stem end P should cling to the gage plate 40, a cleaning mechanism 50 (FIG. 1) operates to dislodge this severed end from the plate 40.

The cleaning mechanism 50 comprises a split collar 52 (FIG. 1) that is rigidly clamped on the tubular shaft 14 by bolts 54. Three equally spaced striker bars 56 are secured to the collar 52, as by welding, and project radially outward from the collar. Each of the striker bars 56 projects outwardly from the shaft 14 substantially midway between adjacent feed cup assemblies 11 and are positioned to rotate in a plane which lies between the plane of the knife and the plane of the forward face of the gage plate 40 as indicated in FIG. 3. Thus, any severed stem which does not fall free of the gage plate 40 will be struck by one of the striker bars 56 and will be positively pushed from the plate 40.

The embodiment of the invention shown partially in FIG. 5 comprises a gaging mechanism 60 which is identical to the mechanism 8 (FIG. 4) with the exception that the mechanism 60 (FIG. 5) includes a gage plate 62 which is curved so that the end walls 63 and 64 are disposed further from the path of movement of the stem end of the pear. The arcuate gage plate 62 facilitates stem entry and discharge from the elongate gaging opening 65 provided in the plate. Since the gage plate 62 is itself arcuate, it is evident that the pear P may either move in an arcuate path similar to the path 49 (FIG. 4), or in a path as indicated by the line 67 (FIG. 5). This line 67 indicates a path which may be either a rectilinear path or a curved path which lies in a plane generally parallel to the knife 13 (FIG. 1).

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the end gaging and cut ofi mechanism of the present invention is simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture and provides a particularly effective self-cleaning gaging mechanism. The gage plate may be stamped from a single piece and hence is strong and not apt to bend under severe usage.

While two embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

The invention having thus been described, what is believed to be new and is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fruit preparation machine, a flat one-piece gaging plate mounted in fixed position and having an elongate aperture and including spaced apart top and bottom walls and spaced end walls completely enclosing said aperture, said aperture having an entrance portion, a transition region, a longitudinal gaging portion and a discharge region; means in said machine for swinging a pear along an arcuate path to move the stem of said pear into said entrance portion and along said aperture to said longitudinal gaging portion where said pear is aligned generally perpendicular to said gaging plate; means for moving the pear generally transversely of said path to move the stem end into firm engagement with said gaging plate; and means in said machine for severing the stem end from the body of the pear at a point spaced from said gaging plate.

2. Gaging apparatus for a fruit preparation machine comprising a gaging plate having a longitudinally extending aperture therein; said aperture being defined by at least four internal edges of said gaging plate, with at least two of the edges lying in a horizontal plane and at least two of said edges lying in a vertical plane, which form an entrance portion, a transition section, a longitudinal gaging region defined by portions of said edges extending in parallel horizontal planes, and a discharge region beyond said gaging regions; means for swinging a pear along a path to move the stern of said pear into said entrance portion and along said aperture to said longitudinal gaging region where said pear is aligned generally perpendicular to said gaging plate, means for moving the pear generally transversely of said path to move the stem end into firm engagement with said gaging plate; and means for severing the stem end from the body of the pear at a point spaced from said gaging plate.

3. Gaging apparatus for a fruit preparation machine comprising an arcuate, one-piece gaging plate having a longitudinally extending aperture therein, said aperture being defined by internal edges of said gaging plate which form an entrance portion, a transition section, a longitudinal gaging region defined by portions of said edges extending in parallel horizontal and vertical planes, and a discharge region beyond said gaging region; means for swinging a pear along a path to move the stem of said pear obliquely relative to said gaging plate into said entrance portion and along said aperture to said longitudinal gaging region where said pear is aligned generally radially with said arcuate gage plate; means for moving the pear generally transversely of said path to move the stem end into firm engagement with said gaging plate; and means for severing the stem end from the body of the pear at a point spaced from said gaging plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,905,216 Freeman et al Sept. 22, 1959 2,910,102 Windman et al Oct. 27, 1959 2,963,061 Csimma et al Dec. 6, 1960 

